Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

1949 Hoover Commission Proposal for Protective Function Transfer

In 1949, a task force of the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government (Hoover Commission) recommended that nonfiscal functions be removed from the Treasury Department, specifically proposing transfer of the White House detail, White House Police Force, and Treasury Guard Force from the Secret Service to the Department of Justice. However, the Commission’s final report on the Treasury Department omitted this recommendation, leaving the protective function with the Secret Service. Former President Hoover commented that “the President will object to having a ‘private eye’ looking after these fellows and would rather continue with the service.”

FBI Contributions to Presidential Protection

The FBI, which grew rapidly in the 1920s and beyond to become the largest U.S. government investigative agency, had an annual appropriations item for “protection of the person of the President” beginning in 1910, but the Justice Department never exercised direct responsibility for presidential protection. According to J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI provided protection to Vice President Charles Curtis during 1929-1933 at his request. The FBI’s overall contribution to presidential protection consisted primarily of referring potentially dangerous individuals to the Secret Service.

1963 Secret Service Structure and Staffing

In 1963, the Secret Service was one of several investigative agencies in the Treasury Department, with major functions including combating counterfeiting and protecting the President, his family, and other designated persons. The Chief of the Secret Service administered operations through four divisions—Investigation, Inspection, Administrative, and Security—and 65 field offices nationwide, each headed by a special agent in charge reporting directly to Washington. The Security Division supervised the White House detail, White House Police, and Treasury Guard Force. In fiscal year 1963, the Secret Service had an average strength of 513, including 351 special agents, while the White House Police had an average strength of 179.